25 Great Ways to Get a Flatter Stomach After 50 (Without Drugs!)

Winning the belly fat battle is good for your self-esteem and your health

Rachel Nania,

AARP

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Published July 02, 2024

gif of man in a yellow shirt with his belly fat deflating

Sam Island

Want a flatter stomach after 50? It’s not a vain goal.

Accumulating research finds that extra weight in the midsection is linked to a number of health issues, from heart disease and type 2 diabetes to cancer and more. In fact, doctors say that if your waist measures more than 35 inches for women and more than 40 inches for men, you likely have an unhealthy amount of belly fat and are at a higher risk for all the health problems that come with it.

Of particular concern is what’s known as visceral fat. This is not the kind of fat you can pinch on the surface — the love handles, so to speak. It’s fat deep within the abdominal cavity that pads the organs and causes the stomach to protrude.

Biologically speaking, this type of fat is “very active,” says Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It generates inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease, and secretes hormones and chemicals that can promote insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

Trim down your belly and you can cut your risks for these health problems. But what’s the best way to do it without the help of weight loss medications, which can come with high costs and unwanted side effects?

Unfortunately, we can’t pick and choose where we lose our fat, says Sajani Shah, M.D., chief of minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. In other words, achieving a leaner midsection can’t be solved by spot training with 1,000 daily crunches. That said, when people shed weight, they tend to lose fat from the belly first. “They may notice that the belly shrinks even before they notice changes in the face or other parts of the body,” Lopez-Jimenez says.

Here are 25 tips on how to lose belly fat and get a flatter stomach at 50 and beyond.

1. Pass on processed foods

The “No. 1 cause” of dangerous belly fat is ultraprocessed foods — your fast food combos, packaged snacks and frozen pizzas, says Mark Cucuzzella, M.D., a professor in the department of family medicine at the West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, who studies diet-related diseases.

Because these foods are stripped of nutrients and fiber, the body digests them quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar. Over time these spikes can lead to insulin resistance and weight gain. “Visceral fat is triggered by insulin resistance,” Cucuzzella says.

Not to mention, these hyperpalatable foods — often high in fat and calories — are easy to overeat. Many older adults find them addicting, research supported by AARP shows.

A study published in 2023 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that adults who had a higher intake of ultraprocessed food were more likely to have excess fat, especially in the abdomen. Similarly, research published in 2021 found that higher consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with greater accumulation of visceral fat.

2. Cut 500 calories a day

“The easiest way to start to lose weight around your abdomen is to be in a calorie deficit,” Shah says. This means you need to burn more calories than you consume.

While exercise is an important part of the weight-loss puzzle, a big focus should be on your diet, Shah says. After all, you can sabotage 60 minutes on the treadmill in 60 seconds with a piece of cake.

To lose about a pound a week — which is what is considered a safe and realistic amount — aim to cut 500 calories a day, she says.

3. Pile on the protein

One thing you’ll want to eat more of if you’re trying to lose belly fat is protein. It has fewer calories per gram than fat, Shah says, so you get more bang for your buck. Protein also keeps you feeling full longer. “So you’re not going to be hungry, you’re not going to be reaching for the next snack in a couple of hours, and you’re going to hopefully eat less if you’re filling up on protein first,” Shah adds.

Another plus: Protein helps you maintain muscle as your body burns fat. This is especially important for older adults, who are susceptible to age-related muscle loss.

Several studies suggest that consuming more protein is associated with a reduction in abdominal fat, including a clinical trial published in 2021 that found that men age 65 and older who ate more protein than the recommended daily amount over six months saw a significant loss of belly fat.

It’s recommended that older adults consume about 1 gram of protein per 2.2 pounds of body weight, or approximately 68 grams for someone who is 150 pounds. However, some nutritional scientists suggest that older adults aim for closer to 90 grams of protein each day.

Good sources of protein include eggs, fish, poultry and low-fat dairy products, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

4. Watch for sneaky sources of sugar

If you want to lose belly fat, you’ve got to scale back on added sugar. “Anything that’s going to have a huge increase of your insulin and your blood sugar, that can be problematic” when it comes to belly fat, says Kristin Kirkpatrick, a dietitian in the department of wellness and preventive medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. These spikes signal the body to store fat, and research shows it often goes straight to the abdomen.

Foods high in added sugar also leave you feeling hungry not long after eating them, Lopez-Jimenez says, causing you to consume more calories.

The problem is: Added sugar isn’t just in candy and doughnuts. It sneaks into a variety of unsuspecting foods — from condiments to store-bought bread and cereal.

To identify added sugars, Harvard Health Publishing says to keep an eye out for the following names: corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, corn sweetener, fruit juice concentrate and syrup sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose).

illustration of a woman pole vaulting over a wine glass

Alcohol is empty calories, and a single serving of some drinks contains as many calories as a meal.

Sam Island

5. Limit alcohol

Alcohol contributes to a growing midsection in a few ways. For starters, alcohol is empty calories, and a single serving of some drinks contains as many calories as a meal. Drinking can also lower your inhibitions and lead to poor food choices. You may find you’re more likely to order a side of fries after a second glass of wine or to opt for a plate of nachos with your beer. What’s more, alcohol interferes with your body’s ability to burn fat. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the liver plays an important role in burning fat, but when you drink, it burns the alcohol first. “I have female patients who are even drinking what we would consider from government standards moderate drinking, so a glass of wine every night with dinner. They cut that glass of wine out, their belly goes down,” Kirkpatrick says.

6. Nix sugary beverages

Federal data shows that nearly half of all U.S. adults consume at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day, and some consume three or more. That’s bad news for our bellies, since research has found that people who consume a higher number of sugar-sweetened beverages — sodas, juices, sports drinks and sweetened coffees and teas — have more abdominal fat, including the dangerous visceral fat. In one study, a team led by researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis analyzed the association between long-term sugar consumption and fat deposits around the heart and in the abdomen. Looking at data from more than 3,000 adults, they found that higher intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages and other added sugars over 20 years were related to greater fat stores in the belly and around the heart later in life.

“Our findings provide more evidence that consuming too much added sugar and sugary drinks is related to a higher amount of fat tissue,” study co-author Lyn Steffen said in a statement. “And we know that fat deposits are connected with higher risks of heart disease and diabetes.”

7. Reach for hydrating foods

When you’re hungry for a snack, prioritize what the Cleveland Clinic’s Kirkpatrick calls hydrating foods: fruits and veggies with high water content that can keep you feeling full for longer.

“Is it better to have some pretzels? Or is it better to have an apple with some peanut butter?” Kirkpatrick says. “It’s the apple with peanut butter because it’s [more hydrating], it’s got more fiber, it’s got more nutrient density.”

Watermelon is another great choice; with high water content and few calories, it can help with weight loss, some research suggests.

8. Hop on the cottage cheese trend

Social media is awash with all sorts of ways you can incorporate cottage cheese into your diet — and for good reason. Nonfat and low-fat cottage cheese are high in protein, which aids in weight loss around the midsection. It’s also packed with calcium, which can help prevent bone loss, which often goes hand in hand with weight loss.

A team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that adults who followed a high-protein diet that incorporated low-fat dairy products for four months maintained better bone health after weight loss than participants who were assigned a higher-carbohydrate weight-loss diet. The findings were published in The Journal of Nutrition.

“Treating obesity often increases risk for osteoporosis,” study co-author Ellen Evans said in a statement. “Many people lose bone mass when they lose weight.”

However, “the combination and/or interaction of dietary protein, calcium from dairy and the additional vitamin D that fortifies dairy products appears to protect bone health during weight loss,” said lead study author Matthew Thorpe.

9. Keep your stress in check

Stress activates a hormone in the body called cortisol — it’s what’s responsible for the fight-or-flight response. While helpful in an emergency, elevated levels of cortisol as a chronic condition can lead to high blood sugar and weight gain, especially in the abdominal area, research suggests.

“There’s good stress and bad stress,” Cucuzella says. “And I think most of us know when it’s not good stress anymore.”

Research suggests that meditation can help lower resting cortisol levels; so can eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon and walnuts, and spending time outdoors. Exercise can help with stress, but don’t overdo it or it could have the opposite effect, Cucuzella says.

illustration of a woman using gallon jugs to exercise

Sam Island

You can use milk jugs or bottles of laundry detergent for weights.

10. Do strength training

“If you want to do something about your visceral fat,” Cucuzella says, “it’s going to be build and maintain optimal muscle.” That means you’ll need to start strength training. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength training can increase your metabolism to help you burn more calories.

A study from researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that men who did 20 minutes of daily strength training didn’t see as big an increase in age-related abdominal fat as the men who spent the same time doing aerobic activities. And a review of studies published in the journal Sports Medicine concluded that strength training reduces visceral fat in healthy adults.

“You don’t need to go to a gym. You don’t need to have any fancy equipment,” Shah says. You can use milk jugs or bottles of laundry detergent for weights. Cucuzella says carrying your groceries and doing yard work also count.

“Even using your own body weight” in a push-up or plank, for example, “is still something that’s building strength for your muscle and your bone,” Shah says.

11. Take sleep seriously

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that a lack of sufficient sleep led to a 9 percent increase in total abdominal fat and an 11 percent increase in visceral fat.

For the study, a team of researchers from the Mayo Clinic studied the effects of sleep duration on a small group of participants during two 21-day sessions and found that those who had their sleep restricted consumed more calories and accumulated more fat inside the belly, which was detected on a CT scan, than those with unrestricted sleep.

“Normally, fat is preferentially deposited subcutaneously, or under the skin. However, the inadequate sleep appears to redirect fat to the more dangerous visceral compartment,” study author Virend Somers, M.D., said in a news release.

Similarly, a study published in 2022 in JAMA Internal Medicine found that overweight adults who increased their sleep duration reduced their caloric intake by nearly 300 calories per day.

Struggling with your sleep? The CDC says a few simple changes can help. Among them: going to bed at the same time every night, keeping your bedroom quiet and cool, avoiding large meals and alcohol before bedtime, and exercising regularly. If you’re still having trouble, talk to your doctor, who can help pinpoint what’s causing your sleep problems.

12. Move more

Strength training is important but don’t completely neglect cardio. Not only does aerobic exercise burn calories, it can reduce your stress levels and help you sleep better, both of which are important when it comes to losing belly fat, the Cleveland Clinic points out. Plus, exercise can help keep fat from coming back.

No need to train for a marathon. “Just walking is a great exercise,” Shah says. Public health officials recommend aiming for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day.

13. Feast on fiber

Any food high in fiber is a boon for the belly, Kirkpatrick says. “It really helps with the overall aspect of losing weight. And if we’re going to lose weight, losing belly fat is definitely going to be one critical component to it.”

Research out of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, found that study participants who increased their daily soluble fiber intake saw a decrease in visceral fat. Other studies have reached similar conclusions.

Foods high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains (quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice) and legumes (lentils and beans). One trick Kirkpatrick recommends: Try to eat seven colors every day, since for the most part, there are “no naturally colored foods that don’t have fiber,” she says.

14. Write it down

“The first thing I tell patients is: Start writing down what you’re eating,” Shah says. You can do this with the help of an app or just a notebook.

“The minute you start writing down what you’re eating and how much, trust me, the calories add up and then you start paying attention. And as the day goes along, you’re making better choices because you realize that you’ve been eating a lot of calories or a lot of fat or a lot of carbohydrates,” Shah says.

Research supports this. One study out of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, found that adults on no particular diet who tracked their food intake lost weight over the course of three months. Another, out of West Virginia University, found that adults who tracked their food intake consistently and over the long term were more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

illustration of a woman using a large magnifying glass to read nutrition label

Check your labels — that yogurt could be loaded with unwanted calories.

Sam Island

15. Become a label reader

Food manufacturers have perfected the art of making their products appear healthier than they really are. Block out the noise on the front and flip packages over to read the nutrition label and ingredient list.

You may be surprised to find that your favorite yogurt contains more sugar than a candy bar or your go-to salad dressing is loaded with unwanted calories.

16. Take care of your gut

Mounting evidence suggests that you need to take care of your gut to lose your gut. More specifically, you need to care for your microbiome, the community of trillions of bacteria, fungi and other organisms living in your intestines. These microbes can influence a number of functions in your body, including your weight, research suggests.

So how do you take care of your microbiome? Eating a wide variety of plants keeps microbes happy — everything from fruits and vegetables to beans and nuts. So do foods with probiotics, like yogurt and sauerkraut.

“Making sure that your microbiome is taken care of could be really beneficial to [losing] belly fat as well,” Kirkpatrick says.

17. Quit smoking

Yet another reason to kick the habit: Smoking has been linked to an increase in abdominal fat. A large-scale study published in March 2024 in the journal Addiction found that long-term smoking increases belly fat, especially visceral fat. The researchers note that the influence of smoking on belly fat seems to happen regardless of other factors, such as socioeconomic status and alcohol use.

This latest study builds off previous research, including a study published in 2020 from researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, which found that smokers had higher amounts of visceral fat than nonsmokers on CT scans.

“This might contribute to the higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and age-related physical deconditioning and disability that is well documented among those who smoke,” lead study author James “Greg” Terry said in a news release.

18. Avoid ‘overeating healthy’

You can be a healthy eater and still be taking in more than your body needs, Shah says. She calls this “overeating healthy.”

“There are some people that eat all healthy foods, but they’re just eating too much of it,” and that can lead to weight gain, she explains. To avoid this, Shah says keep your portions in check and use a smaller plate at meals to avoid piling too much on it at once.

Kirkpatrick also recommends paying attention to what your body needs — a practice known as intuitive eating — and “not giving yourself more food than the body actually requires at any moment.”

19. Beware of artificial sweeteners

Research published in the International Journal of Obesity found that long-term consumption of common artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin was associated with greater abdominal fat stores. The authors of the 20-year study note that the link was found even after accounting for other factors, like how much a person ate or what they ate.

Previous research has also probed the link between zero-calorie sweeteners and weight gain, and many scientists and organizations stress that more research on sweetener safety is needed. The World Health Organization in 2023 advised against using sugar substitutes to help with weight loss.

illustration of a man drinking from a giant glass of water and straw

Water helps keep you full between meals so you don’t overeat.

Sam Island

20. Stay hydrated

Drinking water can help prevent belly bloat. According to the Cleveland Clinic, water encourages “motility along your entire digestive tract” and keeps the food your body is digesting “from becoming too hard and compacted to pass through.” Water also helps keep you full between meals so you don’t overeat.

21. Reassess your caloric needs annually

A rule of thumb for many adults: The more birthday candles you add to your cake, the fewer calories you need.

As you get older, your metabolism slows down, Shah says, so your caloric needs change. This means that many adults find they need to eat less or exercise more each year to maintain their weight. The Mayo Clinic says men in their 50s need about 200 fewer calories a day than men in their 30s.

“If I eat all the calories this year, and I don’t change anything next year and eat the same amount, I’m going to gain weight,” Shah says.

Some older adults experience weight loss with increasing age; this is often due to loss of muscle mass.

22. Scale back on sodium

Ever notice how an indulgent night out can leave you feeling swollen or puffy the next day? Sodium causes the body to retain water, which can make you look and feel bloated in the abdominal area. Research out of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore suggests that sodium can also alter the gut microbiome, leading to gastrointestinal bloating.

It’s not just salty snacks you need to worry about when trying to beat back belly bloat. Some of the top sources of sodium include meat, cheese, bread, soup and condiments.

23. Careful with carbonated drinks

All the bubbles and fizz in your favorite carbonated beverages can cause gas and stomach bloating in some people. A simple fix: Switch to flat water over sparkling. Incorporating more exercise into your routine can also help relieve uncomfortable stomach bloating, the Cleveland Clinic says.

24. Skip the straw

A straw can introduce air into your digestive tract, which can lead to gas, bloating and abdominal discomfort. What’s more, some evidence suggests that drinking through a straw may cause you to drink more. All well and good if your liquid of choice is water, but if it’s filled with calories, it could lead to weight gain.

25. Rule out food intolerances or other health issues

If you experience constant bloating, talk to your doctor, Kirkpatrick says, especially if it’s accompanied by pain or tenderness. A food intolerance may be to blame for your tummy troubles. You should also see a doctor if you have persistent irregularity. “That would for sure warrant going to see a physician to try and dig deeper into what’s causing it,” Kirkpatrick says.

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